8 (More) Products With More Sugar Than You Think!

Even though I know refined sugar has been added to an exorbitant amount of food products, I was still a little taken aback by this statistic…

“There are 600,000 food items in America. 80% of them have added sugar.” – Fed Up Movie

So, since sugar has been dubbed as“probably the most dangerous part of our current diet,“ I want to once again share some products that honestly have way more added sugar than one would think. Obviously we all know many of these items below are total junk food, but there’s just something about seeing the quantity of sugar piled up high right next to them. And since this is a follow up post be sure to check out the original “More Sugar Than You Think!” article to read more on the following topics: The Problem With Sugar, Added Sugar Vs. Naturally Occuring Sugar (big difference!), and Why Artificial Sweeteners are No Better.

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Before we get started though, here is a handy dandy chart to help you figure out how many teaspoons of sugar are in your food products:

The recommended daily allowance of added sugar is six teaspoons (24 grams) for women, nine (36 grams) for men, and three (12 grams) for children.

(click to enlarge full, printable version)

1. Quaker Instant Oatmeal Packets

I like to pick on Quaker Oatmeal, but it’s not because I have anything against just straight-up whole-grain oatmeal. The problem with Quaker is the crazy amount of processed additives they use including half your dose (for women) of recommended added sugar for the day – already just from breakfast. And if you’re a child? Just this one meal alone will reach the recommended added sugar limit. So, I say make it yourself with just plain oats, cinnamon, and a little drizzle of honey (if anything).

2. BBQ Sauce

I think condiments are often overlooked, but with a serving size of 2 tablespoons the sugar in these products can add up fast. I realize living without BBQ sauce (or ketchup for that matter) is a little unrealistic, but just be mindful of how much you are using and how exactly these products are sweetened (many use high fructose corn syrup). I personally love to make my own BBQ from scratch with a natural sweetener instead of refined sugar and, oh boy, the taste is far superior! My recipe will be in my upcoming cookbook.

3. Kool-Aid

Getting my kids to drink and enjoy water was a process. It took at least 6 months, but they finally turned the corner and it’s now their go-to drink after playing outside. So I get it, juices and kool-aid are a crowd pleaser, but when the recommended daily allowance of sugar for kids is just 3 teaspoons I say skip the sugary beverages – or at the very least water them down. And don’t be fooled into thinking the “sugar free” version is any better. In my opinion those are (unfortunately) even worse!

4. Cake Frosting

What’s startling about this one is that the 4 1/2 teaspoons of sugar doesn’t even include the cake. If this isn’t a good reminder to eat sweets and other treats in true moderation then I don’t know what is!

5. Jell-O

Can we all agree there’s not a whole lot of nutritional value going on here? Food Babe recently did an investigation all about this childhood staple. If the crazy amounts of artificial dyes and other additives didn’t already scare you away, please take a look at the added sugar and rethink your stance! And once again, don’t be fooled by the “sugar free” version either.

6. Twix Bar

If anything, I think this one is a good yard stick when looking at the other products on this page. Let’s think about it – half this candy bar has the same amount of sugar as that oatmeal breakfast above. And the beverage below has even more sugar than the whole bar! We all know candy bars are notorious for being sugar-loaded, so what does that tell us about the others?

7. Red Bull

If you’re feeling low on energy the last thing you need to do is reach for a Red Bull (or anything highly processed for that matter)! All that sugar – more than what’s in the candy bar above – might give you a brief burst of energy, but it’s not what your body needs in the long run. I used to get those afternoon crashes myself, but shortly after cutting out all things highly processed (and starting to depend more on whole foods – including lots of fresh produce) I couldn’t believe how much more energy I had. Just give the real food lifestyle a go for a few weeks and see how you feel!

8. Pepsi

I have quite a few friends who eat fairly healthy, but still do an occasional soda – or worse – have a spouse that just can’t kick their addiction. I am a firm believer that soda with real sugar is far better than the fake stuff you’ll find in the diet version – BUT – this bottle of Pepsi has more than 17 teaspoons of sugar! That’s more than a third a cup, and quite honestly just crazy to consume in one sitting!

Let’s not forget, people are eating (on average) four times the amount of sugar that’s recommended and this alone can be detrimental to our health. Plus, as I eluded to above, Mark Bittman says, “Added sugar . . . is the tobacco of the twenty-first century” and “probably the most dangerous part of our current diet.” So it might be a good time to rethink that soda habit.

Have any products recently surprised you with the amount of sugar they contain? Please share in the comments.

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If you’ve ever made tradition frosting from scratch you’ll know that frosting is primarily butter, a LOT of sugar and some sort of flavoring (vanilla, cocoa, etc). My perspective is, “Eat it infrequently, but when you do, make it from scratch and ENJOY!” I think canned frosted is disgusting, but it is not at all surprising that it has that amount of sugar. It’s frosting…

Yes you can!! I did it, my husband did as well. I will say that we OCCASIONALLY enjoy a bottle of Virgil’s soda (I cannot even drink a whole bottle, it is so sweet) but regular soda makes me sick now!!! You can do it, just mind over matter!! :) And speak control over the situation, say, “I CAN quit my soda addiction,” instead of claiming you can’t. Our words are powerful! I have faith in you :)If youc an quit smoking which is more addictive than heroin, you can quit drinking soda!

That is eye opening! Last year I learned I have a large number of food sensitivities. Sugar is a big one. I never drank a lot of soda, but missed having one at BBQs and get togethers. Mixing a bit of unsweetened apple juice with seltzer water was a perfect substitution.

Try making your own jello with gelatin and 100% fruit juice. You will avoid the added sugar and the artificial colors. There is a recipe on the Knox gelatin box. While I generally avoid giving my girls juice in favor of whole fruits. I make fruit juice finger jello a few times a year on special occasions and cut it out with themed cookie cutters for my girls. 1 or 2 small pieces of homemade jello is still far better then a whole juice box!

I don’t know if I’ve ever consumed an entire bottle of soda, but I hope not. I didn’t grow up drinking it, since our parents said it was “for adults”… probably just to save money. So when my husband and I have something that we like to have coke with (pizza, specifically), we get a glass bottle of coke and share it. I would feel terrible if I drank the whole thing. Or maybe I would feel awesome for a second, then I would feel terrible, lol. I’m so glad my parents didn’t let me drink soda!

I have often looked at how many grams of sugar are in a product, but didn’t realize what that came out to in regards to actual amount. I think my husband will be in denial when I show him how much sugar is in the 2 cans of soda he typically consumes in a day–more then the bottle! I am off to see how much sugar is actually in my creamer. This may just be the wake up call I needed. Putting a physical amount to the grams is really scary.

This blog has an awesome chicken stock, but I’m sure it could be adapted to make vegetable stock. Maybe use the spices that are used on the chicken, “Best Whole Chicken in the Crockpot” and then tons of veggie scraps.

Also jelly and jam. Of course they are sweet, but it’s amazing just how much sugar they can pack into one tiny jar.

On the other hand, I feel a lot less terrible about putting an entire tablespoon of sugar in my oatmeal. I LOVE some of those little packets (not the fruit and cream ones, but the cinnamon and spice ones). But only because of the sugar and spices (and, sadly, salt)–at least now I’m having less of the unhealthy parts.

To me the most disappointing thing is how much sugar is put into savory foods (which even I don’t think need any sugar). The excuse is that it is to cut the acid (in tomato sauce) or make a nice contrast to something (like in sweet-and-sour chicken or baked beans).

I once tasted ravioli that was clearly a dessert item–it made me realize that cheese ravioli with raspberry sauce (made of raspberries in a blender plus maybe a little grape juice) would probably be yummy–but for dessert.

This is eye opening!! Thankfully we don’t consume any of the foods listed, but I am sure there are plenty of things we DO eat which are super sugary. I was just talking to my mom today about how I cannot handle sugar, it makes me irritable and then I have no patience with my kids and feel guilty. Great inspiration to get off the “white stuff.” Thanks a million Lisa! :-)

Also Annie’s Naturals is a good choice, although homemade is pretty easy to make, just time consuming because you have to let it simmer down. We have Stubbs in the Cincinnati area, but I remember not buying it for a particular ingredient (can’t remember what) or maybe it was too expensive at the time. I’ll have to check it out again.

I was shocked by the BBQ Sauce. I also hate how much sugar they put in Spaghetti Sauce! I don’t want sweet.

The other scary thing about soda is they use synthetic caffeine, a majority of which is made in a factory in China or India and no one can get in there for inspections, etc.! Very scary. Oh and Monsanto was the first American synthetic caffeine factory – enough said.

Soda, frosting, Kool Aid, Jello, candy bars, energy drinks–um, no, I’m not shocked or surprised at all by how much sugar they have. I was more shocked that people generally wouldn’t know these were loaded with sugar. I think products like pasta sauce, “light” yogurts and salad dressings would be much more deceptive to the public.

My son has been asking me all month for strawberry milk, which he has never tried. After looking at cartons in the supermarket and seeing the amount of sugar in it along with other unreadable ingredients I decided to make my own…….. Milk, fresh strawberries, some ice and a tiny amount of vanilla essence. He loved it, drank it all up and smiled heaps! It’s a good feeling knowing I didn’t go the easy route and buy a carton and that he had a nutritious drink with only natural sugar. it will be so easy to make again.
I have become a sugar watcher! Sometimes it’s hard to Believe in some healthy juices marketed directly towards kids, that there is way more sugar in that one carton than in a child’s recmmended daily allowance for sugar.
Thank you for highlighting this :-)

Some of that sugar (about 8 grams in 6oz) is in the form of lactose, which is naturally occurring milk sugar. But you’re right, that brand puts a LOT of added sugar in their products. About 18 grams in that 6oz container, which is over 4 teaspoons! I’m sticking with homemade and adding fruit for sweetness.

Applesauce can be a shocker to some. The second ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. I buy the unsweetened applesauce and have taught my children to sprinkle cinnamon on top. They are now teens and young adults and are very aware of added sugar in packaged foods.

Crazy!!! It really is great to see it in teaspoons of sugar, sitting right next to the item. Especially the soda. Great teacher for kids right there.

A few others I’ve thought of that people think of as “health foods” and probably buy pre-packaged all the time:

-bread
-yogurt (anything other than ‘plain’) – the fat free ones are especially bad because they have to make up for the lack of fat (flavor) somehow…so they add a bunch of thickeners and sugar.
-salad dressings
-crackers
-sandwich meat

I read somewhere (probably on this blog!) that if you shop mainly on the outside circle of a grocery store (produce, dairy, meat, bulk grains/legumes) and avoid the center aisles, you’ll get the healthiest and least processed foods. Obviously still shopping smart though, and looking for whole versions of dairy and stuff like that.

I’ve been buying a frozen vegetable mixture for my sons because it includes red potatoes. It also has broccoli, red peppers, onions, green beans, and others. I was so shocked and disappointed the other day when I noticed it also has HFCS! I guess I need to read ingredient list on EVERYTHING!

It’s crazy to think how much sugar is in everything around us! Speaking of, I’m looking for some good store bought peanut butter, that is overly processed and sugary, but still has a good flavour. Any recommendations? I do have a Vitamix, but for simplicity, would prefer to buy rather than try to make my own peanut butter. Thanks so much!

Hi there. I also recommend going organic with peanut butter as peanuts are sprayed very heavily with pesticides. Costco’s brand is yummy as are Brad’s and Costco. But out of desperation while vacationing in FL with limited grocery options, I found that the Smucker’s Organic gets a thumbs-up with only peanuts and salt as ingredients. ~Amy

I second Trader Joe’s Natural Peanut Butter, just peanuts and salt. It is the only peanut butter my kids have ever eaten. I like to give my kids a teaspoon of PB with a handful of baby carrots. They will eat plain carrots, but they ask for seconds when there is PB involved. Don’t forget the TJ’s PB trick of storing your unopened jar upside down in the cupboard. When ready to open, simply flip, stir thoroughly and refrigerate(right side up). Your PB will stay spreadable down to the last drop.

Non-natural peanut butter is something I would LOVE to see on this list!

Highly recommend “Sweet Ella’s” organic peanut butter — sold at Fresh Market. Best taste! & consistency (don’t have to put in fridge so it stays spreadable but not runny). Just peanuts & salt. They still make it on the same vintage equipment as they did decades ago.

Whole Foods 365 brand is our peanut butter and it is delicious, and reasonably priced for a big jar of it. It’s just “peanuts and a pinch of sea salt”. My kids love it and so do we :) And I use Polaner All Fruit Spread as jelly, or I make a quick and easy jam with honey. Of course that stuff still is sugar, even if it is natural forms of it, so it still has to be limited, but a little goes a long way when you’re not desensitized by the ridiculous amounts of sugar in processed foods.

OK, can I just be a food snob here? Because of blogs like this, I make almost everything myself. I’ve never worried about how much sugar is in ANY of my foods in my house. Oatmeal? I soak my own steel-cut oats overnight in whole milk plain yoghurt. Kool-Aid and sodas? Don’t even drink them. We make our own kombucha, drink iced tea (herb, black, and green), or drink water. (And I used to be crazy-addicted to Diet Dr. Pepper!)

I love this post, Lisa, and also love that you’re advocating for making your own, too. I’ve noticed that, for me, these “convenience” foods ended up causing more hardship in the end – for my teeth, for my skin, my weight, my mental state… not to mention the impact on the environment (use of plastics, gas to transport this stuff all over the place, etc.).

I’ve worked so many places where people drank 2 or 3 Red Bulls in one day. They’d always say “They don’t work for me unless I have more than one” and I’d just cringe thinking of what they were doing to their poor stomachs’ lining!

I’m not surprised at the list. I have recently had to go on a no sugar diet and things like canned beans or canned tomatoes can have sugar! Condiments in general often have sugar (think salad dressing, ketchup, etc.) I still can’t kick the Skippy Natural habit, still tastes way better than the natural stuff, but I guess your palate does adjust.

I was eating yogurt and read the ingredients label; 26 grams of sugar! It surprised me but I was also very disappointed; I recently became lactose intolerant and was happy to finally have found a lactose free alternative. Guess I’ll have to keep looking for something else…

Some of that is naturally occurring sugar though. Milk has natural sugars. There is supposed to be a change in nutrition labeling I think, where it will list the amount of “ADDED” sugar. As far as dairy free yogurt, not sure but could have natural sugars as well. You just have to look at the ingredients and avoid things that list any type of added sugar (which has about a million different names) as a main ingredient.

While I couldn’t have said exactly how much sugar is in these foods, I think they are foods that I considered obviously very sugary. So for me there were a few precisions in this article, but it didn’t add 8 more foods to my mental sugary-food list.

I agree with many of the previous comments that I would like to see more foods that are sneaking high amounts of sugar in when you think you are making a healthier choice. If you are choosing to eat many of the foods you list, you are making a conscious choice to eat sugar.

Another thing that stands out to me a lot is hearing phrases of “too much sugar” or “that’s a lot of sugar”. Since sugar is probably not going to be completely eliminated from most of our diets where does one draw the line and categorize something as “too much sugar?” I know that the answer to this question is very different for many people since there is no one right answer, but could you share your standards on where do you draw the line in your diet regarding sugar?

Many respectable and trusted health organizations, such as American Cancer Society, American Diabetics Society, American Heart Association, an so on, recommend about 6 tsp per day for an adult female, 3 tsp a day for children and not too sure about men, but I would assume about 8 tps a day. It’s pretty easy to research.

Balsamic vinegar. The real, traditional one, that costs $$$ naturally has up to 45 g/100 ml (10 tablespoons per 3.5 oz) of sugar. Most balsamic vinegar in the store is an imitation, but still has about 20 g/100 ml.

Carrie, I read something helpful about things like single serving yogurt, etc. which said “If it contains more than 15 grams of sugar, consider it dessert.” I find it helpful to know that 1 tsp of sugar = 4grams.
Here is a helpful article which says: The AHA says that adult women should get 5 teaspoons (20 grams) of sugar per day, adult men 9 teaspoons (36 grams), and children 3 teaspoons (12 grams). For comparison, a can of soda can have 40 grams, or about 10 teaspoons of sugar. http://www.rodalenews.com/recommended-sugar-intake

Just enjoyed a delish lunch of leftover homemade stir-fried squash/zucchini/broccoli/kale. Hmmm – had splashed it with low sodium soy sauce when cooking. Never thought to look at sugar content of the soy sauce. Wiser now with this post. Appreciate the conversion chart.

I went out of my way to buy some local frozen corn from my farmer’s market last spring for this amazing corn chowder recipe I was planning to make. Went to thaw the corn, and sure enough, saw sugar in the ingredient list, sigh. No wonder the corn samples always taste so good! Needless to say, I bought my usual 365 brand frozen corn the next time I made that soup.

I am one of those occasional par takers in soda. I usually do the LaCroix water or Zevia but my son wanted Arby’s for lunch (a rare treat) and I had Pepsi with my corned beef sandwich! Ugh!glad God reminds us in subtle ways like this that we need to keep trying for better and mindful nutrition! Thanks for the reminder.

I recently read an article about the amount of sugar cereals contain. Although many “healthier” cereals contain raisins and dried fruit, which bring natural sugars, still the total amount is exorbitant, 17-19 grams per serving.

I looked up some of these items.
Most have ZERO sugar, they have corn syrup, usually HFCS.
One cannot compare cane sugar to corn syrup it is like comparing olive oil to motor oil.
I am dissapointed in this article, you usually have accurate research,but it is very far off the mark this time
:(
color me bummed out

Then again, honey and maple syrup also contain a good bit of fructose, but at least have some vitamins and minerals. The key here, and the point the article makes, is that sugar should be limited to 3-9 teaspoons per day, the amount depending on age and gender, and that’s hard to do if you’re eating processed foods full of empty sugar calories. Eat your sugar with fiber, as in fresh, whole fruit.

Thank you. I’m showing this to my kids ad will no longer be purchasing oatmeal. I try to buy the lower sugar kind, but it doesn’t come in strawberry. I then attempt mitigation by scooping out some of the flavoring powder, which horrified my daughter yesterday when she saw me do it. We are definitely switching to the make it yourself kind (which of course they don’t like as much).

Rachel, we eat oatmeal a couple of times per week and my kids love/ request it. Some of our favorite types we make are: strawberries’n’cream (using frozen berries, a little vanilla and some milk and maybe honey), pear and blueberry, apple-cinnamon (could use applesauce or chopped apples), and pina colada (canned crushed pineapple and coconut milk). Bananas, pears and mangos are great add-in and add some natural sweetness as well, so play around with combinations. And, try mixing it all into the pot so you control how much extra sweetener goes in and then gradually reduce how much you use. :)

Rachel, first start young! When they don’t know better it isn’t so hard. But aside from that, we have it almost every morning and it’s a favorite. Which is amazing, considering my oldest is 7 and has a sweet tooth. Maybe try starting with a tablespoon and gradually decreasing in teeny amounts until you’re down to an amount you’re comfortable with. I personally can’ stomach plain oatmeal, so I wouldn’t expect my kids to either. I whisk up a raw egg and then add water to equal the called for amount of water, cook it all, and top it with frozen berries and honey. They don’t know about the egg but it really does keep them going longer.

I actually came back to this post after reading it yesterday because it really stuck with me, for some reason, how judgey the teaser email was about “indulging in the occasional soda”. I actually think it’s completely okay and probably healthy as a human being to occasionally indulge in things that aren’t good for us. Everything in moderation.

Not surprised, except maybe by the BBQ sauce. Guess I’ll have to start making my own. I don’t eat any of the other things you mentioned. It’s hard to believe that some folks -especially children- probably eat a lot of these things daily!

I have to say I am so grateful a friend recxomended your site to me! It is life changing and revolutionary for the food industry and I’m excited to see what changes will be made to food products because of you! Thank you for helping our society get where it needs to be in regards to healthy!! As someone who has always been into fitness, It’s been quite the journey for me trying to figure out what’s healthy and what’s not. My sister in law started having these crazy near coma experiences out of the blue at 21, her doctors didn’t know what it was but told her to stay away from ANYTHING that has sugar, even natural sugar, white flour, and milk. That narrows food choices down to very few things these days. My SIL has to go through every single item in the store and make sure what she chooses ha absolutely no sugar. I am appalled at what she found has sugar in it!! Salt! Of all the things I would have guessed would be something she could pick up without any worries has dextrose in it! It blew my mind to hear all these things. So then I started picking up a few “sugar free” products to find out just a few months later from an internet article that that’s even worse. I began wondering what I could trust! And I was doing okay “doctoring up” recipes as my mom calls it , but your website has changed my life! Thank you so much for helping those of us out who are in need of knowing what’s okay to eat and what’s not. You are amazing Lisa!!

I was expecting this article to be much more revelatory and informative. Regular soda, a candy bar, kool aid and Red Bull are quite obviously exceedingly high in sugar. What about things we consider more “innocent” and “healthful” like certain crackers, yogurt, cereal/granola, cereal bars, and even bread? Lost some credibility on what is usually a good source of information.

I have to agree with Kristi. 8 products with more sugar than I think? I’m not all surprised that kool-aid, frosting, candy and soda have a lot of sugar. This is clickbait without any real substance behind it.

Thanks for posting this! It’s really powerful for people to see just how much added sugar is in what they’re eating and drinking. The barbecue sauce is so striking to me – if you double the serving size to 4 tbsp (probably more like what most people consume), that’s about 24 grams of added sugar. 25 grams of added sugar is the upper limit to what most of should be having in a day (per the WHO guidelines of less than 5% of total calories), but most people don’t consider barbecue sauce because it’s not a dessert. Thanks for sharing!

I just looked at the Metamucil Container my husband just bought to help his stomache, I was in shock. The first ingredient was sucrose. So, it says to start out with 1 tbsp. which has 8 grams of sugar and 45 calories. It says you can take up to 3 times a day.

I take on board that this might be helpful for those people that have never thought about where the sugar comes from in their diet, or why they feel ill most of the time – but maybe its a cultural thing – I’m British, and I don’t understand why things in packets and jars and cans are big part of your diet. When I make porridge ( oatmeal ) I simpy use gluten free oats and skimmed milk or water then add low sugar berries such as blueberries or raspberries – it takes 2 minutes in the microwave – why would I buy it in a packet? As for BBQ sauce, I make my own with onions, balsamic vinegar, stevia and passata – it takes ten mins and has no added anything. And why on earth would anyone who is remotely interested in their health drink coke or pepsi?
I congratulate you for helping to inform people about healthy eating, but I’m still shocked that this is news in 2014.

Unfortunately, Americans are so lazy that virtually everything comes in a packet, can, box, or freezer packaged meal. I make all my meals from scratch and people look at me like I’m crazy. It’s just a cultural norm here. Most people don’t even know how good food can be because they have been eating highly processed foods their whole lives, and they dont realize how sweet (disgustingly sweet) almost everything is.

True. I however am an American raising 3 and our lifestyle includes eating REAL food. My husband and I stress natural clean eating for the sake of future generations. It’s usually easier and cheaper than prepackaged “food”. We also know a lot more families taking nutrition to heart. I hope word spreads to decrease childhood and adult obesity and diabetes. Obesity and idylness is rampant. Parents are killing their children with fast food.

I don’t think it’s only laziness. I know plenty of people who buy convenience food because they grew up on it and it never occurred to them to make it from scratch. I would guess that Most Americans do not known how to make BBQ sauce, salad dressing, taco seasoning…and many don’t realize that the ingredients are bad for them. It’s about lack of education and major marketing by food companies.

We’re already probably not quite as bad as the average family when it comes to sugar but still eat way too much. I have a dumb question, though. How can a 1/2 cup serving of jello have 4 3/4 tsps of sugar when the entire package is one several tablespoons and the entire packet probably makes a bunch of servings (I’m guessing 8-10, although it’s been a few years since I made jello). I’m not questionning the article- I’m just confused of how it’s possible. Even if the box only makes 6 servings, that’s 28 tsps of sugar, and I know you can’t fit that much into a single box. And the only ingredient you add when making it is water.

There are 85 grams (g) in one small box of Jell-O. One box makes four servings and each serving has 18g (4.5 tsp.) sugar 18×4 = 72g (18 tsp.) sugar, the rest of the box is made up of gelatin and other ingredients. The box I am getting my info from is a different flavor, so it looks like the amount of sugar varies slightly by flavor.

great post. Thanks for informing us of all these sugary products! I personally wanna avoid.
Here is my page with Organic ingredients and produce with low sugar levels. https://www.funchery.com
would love to connect.
thanks

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